In a feature length story, Orion and Lightray must come to the aid of Forager and his people, as Kalibak has established a brutal dictatorship over the Bug colony. In confronting his evil brother, Orion faces the darker side of his own nature. And, in a back-up story, master comics writer/artist Walter Simonson tells a tale of a young Orion and his friend Seagrin. This issue also includes tales of Lonar of New Genesis reprinted from FOREVER PEOPLE #4 and 7, written and pencilled by Jack Kirby.

THE NEW GODS SPECIAL #1 is such an amazing tribute to the legacy of the King. It does such a great job honoring his style, ideas, and characters on the centennial of his birth. It's great to have reminders of how much of a genius Jack Kirby was and how his work changed comics forever. Read Full Review

The New Gods Special was an exciting trip back to Kirby's Fourth World. Filled with works inspired by the King, they in no way copy him. It's really hard to imitate greatness. Especially when the benchmark established is Jack Kirby. But for a tribute creative to honor one of comic's all-time greats, this is a fantastic homage of one of the King's most enduring DC Universe creations. Read Full Review

Given Kirby's enormous contributions to the field of comics, it's great to see the spirit of that being followed through with the other creators of the other two stories doing double-duty as both writer and artist of their tales. While the end result of New Gods Special #1 may be somewhat disappointing due to the lack of space to tell the stories properly, it's still a worthwhile buy and proof that the memory of Kirby will never be forgotten by fans. Read Full Review

Taken as an introduction to the broader worlds of Jack Kirby, New Gods Special #1 is a fun comic that properly celebrates one of the most creative minds to ever create comic books. Its nice to get some Kirby on the shelves. Im looking forward to the other specials DC is producing in this month of Jack Kirbys Centennial. Long live King Kirby! Read Full Review

I feel that, that is what DC is trying to accomplish in honoring what would have been Kirby's 100th birthday. They are shining light on some of his beloved -- and possibly generationally forgotten characters -- in a fun and simple way for all levels of comic knowledge. Read Full Review

Finally, this special adds two short reprinted Kirby stories written for the early New Gods issues dealing with Lonar and his mighty steed Thunderer. These are two great examples of what made Kirby the King. Read Full Review

I don't think the New Gods Special is a comic for everyone. Without the context of knowing Kirby's history or the legacy he's left at DC Comics, one could easily be forgiven for finding the New Gods Special strangely anachronistic and out of touch with the times. That said though, with a little bit of background, the book blossoms into something else entirely. It becomes an exciting and awe-inspiring homage to one of the greatest cartoonists who ever lived and one of the coolest comics properties to ever grace newsstands. Read Full Review

This special is only worth it if you love Simonson's art or if you're a New Gods completist. But for anyone coming in without any background on these creations, it might not be enough to sell new readers on these characters. Read Full Review

For a story intended to honor Kirby, that's not something Kirby would have done. His stories were loaded with action, adventure and powerful fights - but never (to my memory) ventured into the realm of graphic violence. I would have enjoyed this issue a lot more if it had done likewise. Read Full Review

Dont get me wrong, both of these stories were enjoyable enough reads, and in both cases there is some really great art to help them along. If one was not familiar with Orion or the New Gods, this issue would serve as a functional introduction. Its just not quite special enough for me. Read Full Review

The back end of the book feature some reprints of Kirby himself and a nice essay from former Kirby cohort, Mark Evanier. It’s a touching remembrance and caps off a special that, while not perfect or essential by any stretch, should be a treat for fans of the King. Jack Kirby was one of the greatest minds that comic books, or really any medium, has ever known. We’ve all sat through enough credits of big budget superhero films to know that he has left an indelible mark on the world. Long live the King. Read Full Review

Though everyone involved in The New Gods Special #1 tries their best to deliver an issue that glorifies Kirby's most significant DC Comics creations, it does wind up reminding you why there really hasn't been anyone since who can equal the crazy, unfettered bombastic over-the-top creativity of the King.= Read Full Review

If you love Jack Kirby's Fourth World so much that you can brook endless reminiscences of those comics without anything new being added, then you have found your comic. If you're anything less than an expert on the subject, however, you should probably steer clear. The art is all of good quality but the stories are boring and confusing. And no amount of frantic wikipedia-searching makes them interesting. Read Full Review

In fairness, though, those stories are already available in several different reprint collections (and will be in the forthcoming Fourth World Omnibus), and hardly constitute a reason to shell out five bucks for this hollow "tribute" comic. Read Full Review